Diana



March 5, 1929. R RODGERS 1,704,103

APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING' COAL Filed Sept. 28. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 1March 5, 1929. R. RODGERS 1,704,103

APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING COAL Filed Sept. 28. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IllMarch 5, 1929. RODGERS 1,704,103

APPARATUS FOR CARBONIZING COAL Filed t. 28 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet \5 6 31 J:ficka/dlee Mans, :22; W 9%, m (162/- Patented Mar. 5, 1929.

? wearer it cr ates.

RICHARD LEE RODGERS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY IvIESNEASSIGNMENTS,

TO CHARCOLITE CORPORATION, OF CLINTON, IN

DIANA.

APPARATUS FOR GARBON'IZING GOAL.

Application filed September 28, 1922. Serial No. 591,008.

particularly useful forwlow temperature carbonization whereby may beproduced, firsta freely burning, smokless and sootless fuel,

ideally suited for domestic, and other purposes, and, second valuableb'y-products' This application inits broader aspects con tains subjectmatter common to my co-pending application Serial No. 539,361, filedFeb. 27, 1922, and may be considered an unprovement thereof. 7 7

Among the objects of the invention are the reduction of time necessaryfor the carbonization of a charge, and the production of a uniformproduct of superior quality.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as thedescription to follow proceeds.

I shall first describe my new method broadly, then disclose, with theaid of the drawings herein, a preferred form of apparatus by means ofwhich the method mayefiiciently be carried out.

face of the charge. .1 next provide for perfectuniformity'in theapplication of heat to i the charge so that the entire surface of thecharge, whereby the entire carbonizing oper- -ation is ,pr'otectedfromsudden varlation in temperature, and whereby an abundant-store charge'isheated to the same degree, and the heat travels inward from the entiresurface of the charge, uniformly throughout the charge. I furtherprovidefor control of the temperature throughout the operation, for the efiiicient transfer of the heat, by direct conduction, from the hot gases ofcombustion, tothe charge, and provide a stabilizing heat reservoir indirect conductive contact with the of heat is available to start thecarbonizing operation quickly when a newcold charge is introduced.

These results 'I accomplish by providing containers of cast iron orother suitable material (of large superficial area, but preferably notmore than eight inches between the inner walls) in which the charges aresuccessivelv carbonized. These containers are surrounded by a liquidbath, preferably of fused salts, within an enclosing container of castiron or other suitable material. The hot gases from the fire playdirectly upon the outer container and temperature control means,regulating the fire, maintain the desired temperature in the bath. Itwill be appreciated that the interposition of the bath between theflames and the charge has several important results, some of which areenumerated here.

Thetemperature of the bath is maintained by a clrculation therein, anduneven heating is avoided. The temperature of the bath may be maintainedat any desired point and the charge protected from variations therein.This is important when it is remembered that the process oftransformation, distillation, etc. occurring in the charge areprofoundly affected by temperature; fluctuation in temperature, orunevenness in the temperature on different sides of the charge mayproduce an uneven coke or interfere with the by-product desired.Furthermore, since the specific heat of the bath is much higher thanthat of the hot gases of combustion, there is provided, in intimatecontact with the conductive wall separating the bath from the charge, aheat storing reservoir, ample to supply quickly the excess quantity ofheat necessary to warm up a cold charge, without running the temperatureof said'charge, in the outer layers thereof, too high. This featurealone results in a substantial saving of time by delivering quickly tothe charge a large quantity of heat, without exceeding the desiredtemperature. I

As an illustrative embodiment of the method of my invention, I employ amixture of 75 per cent of calcium chloride with 25 per cent of sodiumchloride. This fuses-at substantially 800 degrees Fahrenheit and may beoping unit, on line 11 of Figure 3,

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation on line 22 of Flgure 1,

DIANA, A CORPORATION OF IN- Figure 3 is a. horizontal section on line 33of Figure 1,

Figure 4 1s a sectional elevation showing a detail of the carbonizingchamber on an entom closure for the carbonizing chamber.

The unit has three main sections: the heat generating section 1, thecarbonizing section 2, and the discharge or smothering pits 0.

The important elements of the carbonizing section will be firstdescribed after which the unit as a whole will be described.

The'carbonizing section 2 has a battery of (in this instance three)carbonizing containers 4 (shown in Figure 5) which will be rescribed indetail. These containers are made long and narrow, as for instance, sixfeet long, five feet high and eight inches wide, in-

side measurements, and are provided with double walls 5 and 6, spaced inthis instance two inches apart.

The bottom of the inner compartment of each container 1- is open withaligned grooves 8 (Figure 5) and a sliding bottom plate 9 is used toclose the same. As will be apparent in Figure 2,.the inner walls 6diverge slightly toward the bottom to facilitate the discharge of coke.

The cover 7 for each container is formed of two parts: the outer part 10covers the space between the double walls and is provided with lugsll-to fit between the double walls and the plugged aperture 13 throughwhich the fused material may be introduced; and the inner partcomprising cover part 1 f dropped into the outer part 10, and fittingwith a wedge lit. The cover 14 provided with flaring walls 15 and websl6 apertured. as

. shown to permit the cover to be raised by hooks. The inner part 14:doesnot extend to the ends of the carbonizing container, and a gastakeoff 17 is provided on the outer cover part 10 (Figure 5).

I It will be understood that the coal to be carbonized is dropped intothe carbonizing containers,the covers 14 being first removed and thebottom plate 9 slid in place, there after heat of the fused saltsbetween the clouble walls 5 and 6 carbonizes the coal, after which byremoving the plate 9 the coke is r I in combination, a heating chamber,a double discharged.

Having described one of the carbonizing chambers, I will now describethe unit.

The ca-rbonizing unit, as a whole, comprises a structure made of tirebrick or the like, having vertical walls 18. A. smothering pit 19 (intowhich may run the tracks 20) forms the lower part of the structure. Thesmothering pit receives the charge after it is coked and prevents itfrom burning or being ignited.

Supported on the brickwork 18 and protected by an inner sheath ofinsulating material 21 enclosed therein are the 'fire boxes 26 and 27, nthis instance two in number. Any suitable source of heatmay be used suchas oil blast nozzles, notshown, controlled by thermostatic regulationfrom the fused salt to maintain the bath at the desired temperature.Such thermostatic regulating means are well known and are not shownherein. Flames and hot gases of combustion from the fire passbaclnvardly around the carbonizing containers and then to the front,weaving over and under the baflles 28 and discharging by ducts 29 to aflue not shown. The unit is divided by the walls 30 and 31- so that thehot gases from each fire box pass rearwardly between the middle andouter carbonizing container, on each side, around the rear of each outercontainer, and then forwardly around the outside of each outer containeras shown by arrows in Figure 3. i

In operation the space between the double walls of the containers 4being filled with the fusible salt through the plug 13-the bath isbrought to, and being maintained at, the proper temperature, the bottomplates 9 are inserted, the cover parts 14 being removed, the containers4 are filled with coal from a traveling hopper, or otherwise. The coverparts being replaced, carbonizing starts and continues till the chargeis completely carbonized.

At the close of the carbonizing operation the bottom plates 9 beingpulled out, the carbonized product drops into thesmothering pit, itsdischarge being facilitated by the slight divergence of the inner walls6 of the containers toward the bottom. Theplates 9 are then replacedandthe operation repeated. The carbonized product is removed fronithesmothering pit at convenient times.

I claim: 1 V

1. In apparatus for vcarbonizing coal and walled container in theheating chamber, the inner and outer walls of said container-beingspaced from each other, the interior of the container adapted to containcoal and the space between the inner and outer walls having a fusiblesalt heating medium consist ing of approximately seventy-five percentcalcium chloride and twenty-five percent (25%) sodium chloride, andmeanSper-' mitting discharge of the contents of said container downwardly bygravity.

v in 2. In apparatus for carbonizing coal, and in combination, a gasheating element, a retort adapted to be heated by the hot gases from theheating element, said retort comprising an outer shell and a spacedinner container for coal within said shell and spaced therefrom, and thespace between the shell and container containing a fused materialconsisting of approximately seventy-five percent (75%) calcium chlorideand twenty-five percent (25%) sodium chloride, said retort having plainsides and being long vertically and narrow and arranged to be dischargeddownwardly.

3. In apparatus for carbonizing coal, and in combination, a heatingchamber adapted to receive hot gases from a heat generator, a doublewalled container arranged in said heating chamber, the inner compartmentof said container being adapted to receive coal, the inner and outerwalls of said container being spaced apart and having a bath of fusedmaterial therebetween, said inner compartment being approximately eightinches in internal diameter in one horizontal direction and relativelylong in another horizontal direction, means for causing the hot gases topass around the container, and means whereby said container may befilled at the top and container and spaced therefrom and containmg abath of fused material surrounding said container, and means for causingthe hot gases from the heating element to operate directly on theenclosure.

, 5; In apparatus for carbonizing coal and in combination, a heatingelement, an upright double walled container having a fusible saltbetween its inner and outer walls and adapted to have its outer wallheated by the heating element, two opposite inner walls of saidcontainer being spaced apart no more than eight inches, and removableclosures for the top and bottom ofsaid container whereby coal may bedelivered to said container at the top and removed from the bot-tomthereof.

6. In apparatus for carbonizing coal and in combination, a heatingchamber, a double walled container having its inner and outer wallsspaced from each other, said container being within said heating chamberand having its inner compartment opening through said heating chamber atthe top and bottom, the space between said inner and outer wallscontaining a fused salt consisting of approximately seventy-five percent(75%) calcium chloride and twenty-five percent (25%) sodi-' um chloride,removable closures for said top and bottom of said inner compartmentwhereby a charge of coal may be dropped into said container, heated andthe resulting coke product discharged vertically downward therefrom.

lin witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 26th day ofSeptember, A. D. 1922.

RICHARD LEE. aonenns.

